News

Feb 12, 2014

European tour launches February 25; New album arrives March 10

With the release of his new Emperor/Fantasy album less than one month away, Yundi is set to embark on his 2014 European recital tour, performing a musical program that features Schumann's Fantasie in C in 21 cities across the continent. The tour opens February 25 at London’s Royal Festival Hall and will include stops in Berlin, St. Petersburg, and Vienna, among many others.

The tour follows Yundi’s highly successful 2013 Piano Dream China tour, which reached an audience of over 55,000 and was the largest classical music tour in the country’s history. Yundi went on to perform at China’s Spring Festival Gala, which was witnessed by an audience of over one billion.

Arriving March 10: Emperor/Fantasy album On March 10, 2014, Deutsche Grammophon will release Yundi’s newest album, a recording of Schumann’s Fantasie in C and Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto with the esteemed Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra led by Daniel Harding.

Emperor/Fantasy, the pianist's second album with the Berlin Philharmonic, arrives on the heels of an unprecedented year of successes for Yundi, whose discography dominated 11 of the 15 spots in Starsing Records's classical charts. Yundi’s previous recording of Beethoven piano sonatas went platinum.

As his landmark, 33-city Piano Dream China tour nears its conclusion, Yundi returns to Germany at the end of this month to record his first orchestral album in six years, a new release featuring Beethoven’s Fifth Piano Concerto, “Emperor,” with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. Daniel Harding, a longtime friend and colleague of Yundi, conducts the orchestra. The album is slated for release later this year on the Deutsche Grammophon/Mercury Classics label.

Yundi's previous album with the esteemed Berlin Philharmonic saw the Chinese pianist performing Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 2 and Ravel's Piano Concerto in G Major under the baton of Seiji Ozawa. The acclaimed album earned a spot in The Penguin Guide to Classical Music. In fact, Yundi heads into 2014 just as it was announced that eleven of his albums have been included in the Top 15 classical sales chart for Starsing Records, China’s largest music wholesaler. The success of his recordings is unprecedented, not only for classical albums but also for the Chinese music market.

Yundi has been tirelessly preparing for his Berlin recording session while at home in Beijing and on tour across China. The Piano Dream China tour, which has sought to promote a passion for piano and classical music across Yundi’s native country, will make its final stop in Nanjing on January 18.

In 2014, Yundi returns to the European concert stage, traveling to 25 cities from February 25 to April 27.

Yundi kicks off the New Year just as it was announced that eleven of his albums have been included in the Top 15 classical sales chart for Starsing Records, China’s largest music wholesaler. The success of his recordings is unprecedented, not only for classical albums but also for the Chinese music market. As he prepares for the release of a new album in 2014, Yundi extends his gratitude to Universal Music Group, Askonas Holt, and his fans for all their support.

With 2014 on the horizon, Yundi looks ahead to the final performances of his Piano Dream China Tour and a spectacular New Year concert at Beijing’s Workers Stadium. Yundi gives the final two performances of his landmark tour in Xuzhou (December 20) and Shanghai (December 23) before heralding the New Year with a dazzling performance at Beijing’s Workers Stadium.

Yundi’s Piano Dream China Tour - which comprises more than 30 concerts interspersed with masterclasses across China in cities large and small - has helped cultivate a new generation of classical music listeners. Throughout the tour, Yundi has performed select Chopin Nocturnes, Beethoven sonatas, and other classical works to sold-out houses across the country.

The response to the tour has been tremendous, with packed houses and long queues at Yundi’s post-concert signings that highlight the extraordinary passion for classical music among Chinese audiences. In fact, four of Yundi’s recordings occupied Amazon’s top selling album chart in China during the first three quarters of 2013. Explore Yundi’s discography here.

In 2014, Yundi returns to the European concert stage, traveling to 25 cities from February 25 to April 27.